Secret Place
by sugarprincess89
Summary: Bella Swan didn't always live in Phoenix, AZ with her mother after they left Forks, WA. They lived in Toronto, Canada. What happens there that makes them move to Phoenix.? Did she love the cold before or was she driven out? Story Better that Summary.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. It belongs to Stephanie Meyer. This is a FANFIC.

Title: Secret Place

Prologue

I was never the type of person that got along with everyone in school. Not that I was going around being a bully. No. I just kept to myself. I wasn't the type of person that made friends easily. I was careful. My mom, Renee, taught me to be careful when making friends, though she doesn't take her own advice. Because of this, I rarely had friends. Sometimes I wonder if its really worth being careful.

If you look at me, you might think I'm a very plain girl that can't do anything. In some ways you may be right. I'm extremely clumsy. But I love music. My mom let me learn to play the guitar when I turned 12. I've mastered it quite well. I even started to write some songs. But I'll come to that later.

I love winter. The cold air, the snow glinting in the sun's rays. It's as if millions of diamonds were dumped in this one area of Canada where I live and they all glitter at the same time. It is really beautiful. Though I didn't have friends, I was happy. I lived in my own little world of imagination. One good thing about living in the cold, is you have a warm heart. Someone once told me, if your feet aren't cold, you heart will be. This helped me be kind and selfless. It can be really rewarding.

My happiness was shattered when I turned 13. I used to love sports though I was very clumsy and uncoordinated. People were still careful around me and didn't care much, because they ignored me anyways. But that year everything turned around. A new girl came to my school from a private school in St. Catherine's. She was beautiful. Her hair was raven black that flowed down her back to her waist in waves. Her eyes were onyx black. She looked like a model. She was perfection. I didn't think that there was anything more perfect than her. She always smiled. But as I learned soon enough, behind all that beauty, was a devilish heart. Because of her I suffered a lot that year. Through others' hands, my hair was almost set on fire, my desk was moved out of the classroom onto the street, my locker was filled with crickets, water was poured on me when I was in the restroom, and I think you get the point. She made my life a living hell. I didn't understand what I did wrong. I still don't know. I didn't tell my mother, but she accidently found out when she came to pick me up early from school. I usually rode the bus, and I didn't know she would come. She happened to come across the point in the day when the girls ordered by the beauty to torture me. They chased me to the roof, from the action I guessed they wanted me to jump. They cornered me from all sides and backed to the edge. I'm not sure how it happened, maybe my mom saw as she was walking in the school, but she was on the roof beside me, just before I reached the edge.

As a result…we moved to Phoenix. Why Phoenix? My mother of course. She didn't like the cold. She liked the blistering heat, laying out on the beach and tanning. So I've lived in Phoenix about 4 years now. During this time, I decided to change myself. I convinced myself I hated anything wet and cold. I convinced myself I hated sports. Though I was in pain of losing that part of my life, I never showed it. I acted happy. I can't deny that I didn't enjoy myself from time to time, but I couldn't be happy 100%. My heart became cold. I became somewhat selfish. I stayed kind because I didn't want to be like those people back in Toronto. In the school in Phoenix, the kids there weren't mean. They actually tried to be my friend, but because I pushed them away harshly, they stayed back with judgment in their eyes.

I wrote a song a little about me:

_Once, so long ago, my heart was crushed, and turned to stone_

_Now, a cold façade, protects and shields, their words echo_

_Here comes the Ice Queen, no heart and no emotion_

_So it seems, bit they don't really know how I can be_

_Don't judge me based on what you see._

_The lonely Ice Queen, no one is ever good enough_

_It seems, I'm just a little shy, misunderstood_

_You think that you can melt my heart, then break the ice._

_Snow, fell all around, onto the ground, they put me down._

_Trapped, beneath the ice, no sign of fire, but still they cry._

(NOTE: This song was written by a Vietnamese singer Trish Thuy Trang. You can listed to it on the player.)


	2. Chapter 1 Impressions

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. It belongs to Stephanie Meyer. This is a FANFIC.

Title: Secret Place

Chapter 1

Impressions

This past summer, my mom remarried. Phil. A nice guy, but maybe too young. But as long as my mom is happy, I'm ok with that. She is like a child, like I said before, she never listens to her won advice. Phil, was a football player from Canada. That's where they met. He played pretty well and was well know. Because of that, he moved around a lot. During his career, he has already visited many countries such as Italy, Hungary, and Chile. I saw how my mother yearned to travel with him, so I suggested that I move to Forks, Washington with my dad, Charlie. My mom was stunned. After my visits there, I never said that I liked it there. Of course, that was all a cover up. Though my heart was warm for my mom, I kept it cold all the other times.

It took me half the school year to finally convince her that I really _wanted_ to go live with Charlie. Finally, she relented. I could see in her eyes concern and excitement playing at the same time. She wanted to make sure I was ok. But at the same time, she was excited to be able to travel with Phil.

"Mom, don't worry. I'll be fine. I'm already 17." I tried to calm my mom. She looked like she was on the verge of a tear shower. I never liked when she cried, so I tried to make sure she never did. The result? Her carefree child like life.

"Make sure to write or call me everyday. I will expect one or the other." she prompted.

"I know mom, I remember." I said.

Phil loaded my bags into the trunk of the cab. I told them not to worry about taking me since they had to get ready for their trip to Spain later that night. I walked to the cab and stood by the open door for a second. What would this new place bring me? Would my life change drastically again? I sat down and closed the door. After rolling down the window, I waved to my mom as the cab moved with a jolt.

I landed in Seattle, 4 hours later. It was drizzling. I didn't mind. I actually liked it, though I wouldn't admit it aloud. Not yet at least. The air was cool which instantly brought back those beautiful memories from Canada. I got my bags from the baggage claim and went out to wait for Charlie. I didn't have to wait long, in fact, I didn't have to wait at all. Charlie was waiting in his cruiser. It was awkward. We both hugged quickly and I helped him load my bags in the trunk. It wasn't much, just 2 bags, so they fit perfectly well. It was a two hour ride to Forks.

My dad, Charlie, looked elated that I decided to choose Forks. I didn't exactly show any positive reactions whenever I visited, so he didn't know how much I liked it. I was mildly happy that I wouldn't have to deal with the scorching heat anymore. Though I have come to some degree like it. Though the temperature was perfect, the rain wasn't that high on my list. Not that I minded it. No. I t made everything so beautiful and green. It's just, who can handle SO much rain. Maybe I'll get used to it. Like I did the sun.

Charlie broke the silence.

"So Bells, how's Phoenix?" he asked.

I knew he didn't want to know about Phoenix. He was asking about mom. But I decided to make that one slip.

"Good." I stated flatly.

There was some silence. Charlie and I weren't much of talkers. I inherited that trait from him.

"I found a good car for you really cheap." he said braking the silence again.

"What kind of car?" I asked a little suspicious of how he said _for you_ instead of just a car.

"Well, it's not new of course." he put in. "A Mustang."

"Where did you find it?" I pressed on.

"Do you remember Billy Black from the LaPush Indian reservation?

"Not really." I didn't really remember people that easily since I didn't get close to them.

"Well, he's in a wheelchair now, so he can't drive it anymore, and he offered to sell it pretty cheap."

"What year is it?" I wondered.

"Well, Billy did a lot of work on it, so it runs really well. It's not that old."

I sighed. He was trying to weasel his way out of the question. So I asked the question he definitely didn't want me to ask.

"When did he buy it?"

"I think 1984."

"Did he buy it new?"

Now it was Charlie's turn to sigh.

"Well, not exactly. It was probably new in 1967." He finally admitted sheepishly.

"Ch-Dad. I don't know anything about cars. If something went wrong with it, how will I fix it? If it's that old, I won't be able to afford a mechanic." I sort of whined.

"Really, Bella. The thing runs great. They don't build them like that anymore."

The Thing? Nice.

"How cheap is cheap?" I finally asked.

"Well, I kind of, sort of, already bought it for you, as a homecoming present." he said blushing a little.

Dang. Free. Nobody can go against that kind of offer.

"Thanks dad. You didn't have to. I was going to by one myself."

"I don't mind. I want you to be happy." he said looking at the road.

Happy. Happy is not the word to describe how I was feeling. He would never know the extent my "happiness" went to. He would probably never know how much I loved the weather aside from the constant rain.

"That's really nice of you Dad. Thanks."

"Your welcome Bells."  
The rest of the way, was mostly silent, aside from the soft roaring of the engine.

When we finally arrived at the house, the rain somewhat stopped. At least I was able to make it to the house dry. I didn't really feel like changing. The house was white with some red brick on the bottom. This was the house that my parents lived in, in the early stages of their marriage, before she took me and left to Canada. I was two stories. In from of the house stood a red 1967 mustang. Even in the rain it looked really shiny. Perhaps because the rain gave it a nice wash. To my surprise. I loved it. I wasn't sure of Charlie's taste in cars for teenagers exactly, but apparently it was on the dot with me.

"Wow dad, it awesome. I love it." I exclaimed a little over excited for him.

"I'm glad you like it." he answered blushing like he did earlier today.

We took my bags to the second floor. My room came out to the front of the house with a view out. Apparently Charlie was really excited that I was coming because he redid the whole bedroom. From what used to be a pink room that I always came to, it was now green. As if there wasn't enough green outside. It was nicely done, he might have asked somewhere else in town to help. He set my bags on my bed and left me to unpack. I liked that about Charlie. He didn't hover over you. My mom on the other hand would sit and talk on and on.

There were two bathrooms side by side on the second floor. The one closest to my room was mine. I went to take my toiletries there and to make myself more presentable. As I stepped into the bathroom, I almost had a slight heart attack. The bathroom was also green. I guess Charlie went out of his way to make sure I liked it here.

After cleaning myself up from the trip, I went to my room and sat by the window. It started to rain harder again. I started to wonder to myself. _What is this place going to bring? Will the ice around my heart melt? Am I going to be warm to people again? Will I actually make friends? _Questions ran in my mind over and over again. I suddenly felt something wet run down my cheek. I quickly brought up my hand and wiped it. I didn't cry. No. I hated tears. Tears weren't for carefree of cold people. My thoughts were interrupted by Charlie's voice booming from downstairs.

"Bella. I'm going to the station. I'll be back for dinner." he yelled.

"Ok dad, I'll have dinner ready." I yelled back and sighed. I'd have the house to myself then.

Morning came too soon. I wasn't a morning person. I liked staying up at night. I was what I called a Night Owl. If I lived in a big city, and I was more open and old enough, I'd probably go clubbing. But obviously that wasn't the case. I reluctantly opened my eyes and reached to turn off the annoying buzzing alarm clock by my head. I stretched and looked out the window. If was raining, of course. I sighed and went to take a shower. When I got out, Charlie was leaving.

"By Bells, have fun in school." he encouraged.

"Thanks dad." I mumbled, too tired to put any enthusiasm in my voice.

I went to my room and pulled out some clothes. My wardrobe needed to be updated. When we moved to Phoenix, I got rid of my winter clothes. Now I needed to get rid of the summery clothes. I pulled on a pair of jeans and an orange turtleneck sweater. I grabbed my boots, jacket and bag and jogged downstairs to eat some cereal. I finished my breakfast too quickly. Though I didn't want to be in school early and linger around, I didn't want to stay in the house either. I put on my boots and jacket, grabbed the keys to my mustang and locked the door.

The cold air was refreshing. I was finally able to breath freely without suffocation. I didn't want to get soaked so I ran over to the car and hopped in. I sat in their for a while just staring pointlessly at the rain and the house in front of me. I pulled out my iPod from my bag and put the headphones in. I put on my favorite song Crush by David Archuleta and backed out of the drive way.

_I hung up the phone tonight_

_Something happened for the first time_

_Deep inside it was a rush, what a rush_

'_Cause the possibility_

_That you would ever feel the same way_

_About me, just too much, just too much_

I drove down the rode as the song rang in my ears. The forest was around me on both sides. It was all green and mysterious. Just like a person's heart. It was dark but inviting.

_Why do I keep running from the truth?_

_All I ever think about is you_

_You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized_

_And I just got to know_

_Do you ever think when you're all alone_

_All that we can be, where this thing can go?_

_Am I crazy or falling in love?_

_Is it really just another crush?_

_Do you catch a breath when I look at you?_

_Are you holding back like the way I do?_

_?Cause I've tried and tried to walk away_

_But I know this crush ain't going away-ay-ay_

_Going away-ay-ay_

Again my mind drifted. It's never a good sign when you're on the road. _What are the students like here? Will I be able to make friends here? Charlie would definitely want that. Can I go back to the cheerful person I used to be? _My mind was a mess. I wanted to change. I loved my life before. Maybe if I wrote a song. But nothing jumped out at me anymore. I hadn't picked up my guitar since I wrote Ice Queen several years ago.

_Has it ever crossed your mind_

_When we're hanging, spending time girl?_

_Are we just friends? Is there more? Is there more?_

_See it's a chance we've gotta take_

'_Cause I believe that we can make this into_

_Something that will last, last forever, forever!_

I almost passed the school because I was so lost in thought. Also because it didn't even look like a school. If the sign didn't say Forks High School, I would have passed it. I turned onto the school driveway. There was barely anyone there. Cars scattered here and there. It was obvious, I was way too early. I wasn't sure where to park. There weren't any signs that said Student Parking. I drove around toward the office and parked. I'd get some information inside.

_Do you ever think when you're all alone_

_All that we could be, where this thing could go?_

_Am I crazy or falling in love?_

_Is it really just another crush?_

_Do you catch a breath when I look at you?_

_Are you holding back like the way I do?_

'_Cause I've tried and tried to walk away_

_But I know this crush ain't going away-ay-ay_

_Going away-ay-ay_

I hopped out of the car into the rain. I was in such a rush to get out of the house, I forgot my umbrella. I jogged over to the building and stood by the door looking out into the rain for a moment. The school was next to a forest. A trail went inside it. I would have to explore it at some point.

_Why do I keep running from the truth?_

_All I ever think about is you_

_You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized_

_And I just got to know_

_Do you ever think when you're all alone_

_All that we could be, where this thing could go?_

_Am I crazy or falling in love?_

_Is it really just another crush?_

_Do you catch a breath when I look at you?_

_Are you holding back like the way I do?_

_?Cause I've tried and tried to walk away_

_But I know this crush ain?t going away-ay-ay_

_This crush ain't going away-ay-ay_

_Going away_

_Going away-ay-ay_

_Going away-ay-ay_

The song ended. I put my iPod in my bag and stepped inside. The room wasn't very big, but it had enough space. It was too warm for me. Not because it was warm, but it was stuffy. An elderly woman sat at the desk. She looked up as soon as I came in.

"Can I help you dear?"

_God she sounds like my grandma._

"Yes, I'm Bella Swan." I stated, knowing Charlie had informed everyone of my coming here and they would be expecting me.

"Oh yes, I have you schedule right here." she pulled out a folder and gave it to me. "There is a map with the best routes highlighted."

"Thank you." I took the folder and turned to leave.

"Have a good time." she said.

A good time? What is this, a circus? I stepped out into the rain and ran to my car. Students were arriving already and I was glad. I followed the cars to the parking lot. I was glad I didn't stand out much. There were many old cars, though not as old as mine. I quickly parked and shut off my engine. I didn't want to lag behind. I took out my schedule and map and studied it for a minute. I wanted to go in there knowingly, not like some dumb new student that needed help every step of the way. I put the papers in my bag and stepped out of my car. A silver Volvo, caught my eye. It was parked next to me. This was the only car that stood out as new. I wondered who in this town could afford something like this. Even Charlie, with the house we lived in, and the make over in my room and bathroom, wouldn't be able to afford something like that.

I was glad that my clothes didn't stand out. Everyone was dressed about the same. I walked briskly toward the building I had my class in, keeping my head low. I didn't want to be the center of attention. Seriously, the last time I was the center of attention, it didn't end well. My classes went slowly. Everything they were talking about, I already studied. What's wrong with this school? Are they behind or something? Though I sat in the back of the room, I could feel people's gazes on me. It was ridiculous. Have they not seen a human before? At the end of my Spanish class, the girl that sat next to me, Jessica, turned to me.

"Hi, do you want to eat lunch with me?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Sure." I nodded trying to sound as enthusiastic.

People never talked to me. Is the world coming to and end? _Maybe Forks will change me._ I thought to myself as I followed her to the cafeteria. When we got our food, we sat at a table full of people. They were her friends I assumed. I recognized some of the faces from some of my classes. They asked me questions and I tried to answer them without being rigid. This type of attention was shocking and new to me. Was this normal behavior here?

"So, Bella, you're from Phoenix." said a boy named Mike.

I nodded.

"Aren't you supposed to be tan or something?"

I stared at him for a moment.

"Maybe that's why they kicked me out." I joked.

The whole table boomed in laughter. I was somewhat glad I came here. This place could do me some good.

I was interrupted from my question answer session with my lunch mates, when 5 gorgeous people walked in. No they didn't even walk in, they appeared to be floating. They were the most beautiful people. When I thought that nobody was more beautiful than the black haired beauty back in Toronto, I was wrong. These 5 were more beautiful. I was sure there was nobody more beautiful than them. Their skin was pale. And they all looked angelic. All wearing designer clothes. Even the big guy that would normally look like some gangster. They walked into the lunchroom in pairs. The first two came in holding hands walking side by side. The female had long blond hair going down just below her shoulders in wave. she wore skinny jeans and black stiletto boots. She wore a tight white v-neck sweater and a black coat over the outfit. She wore a necklace that seemed like an emblem for something, and a long white scarf hung loosely over her shoulders. The big guy was holding her hand and walking gracefully next to her. He wore some tennis shoes, kaki pants, a black button up shirt, and a white jacket. His hair kind of had a buzz cut. They got their food and sat at a far table where nobody sat. From the looks of things, its seemed as if that was their table. Everyone else was crowding on this side of the cafeteria. The next two came in also holding hands but they weren't exactly walking side by side. The female was short and pixie like. Her hair was brown and stuck in all directions, like a pixie. She wore jeans and brown furry boots. She wore a purple sweater and her necklace was like a ribbon around her neck held by a pin. She was dancing around twirling while holding the guys hand. He walked calmly gently smiling at her. His hair was blondish. He wore tennis shoes, blue jeans, and a black jacket that was mostly zipped up. They also grabbed their food and joined the others. The last to come in was him. He was alone, yet also graceful. He had a serene look on his face. His hair was bronze-like and fashionably untidy. He wore jeans, a green button up shirt with a black leather jacket. He too joined the others in the same manner after getting his food. They all sat motionless, and picked at their food from time to time. They stared in different directions pointlessly like porcelain dolls.

"Who are they?" I asked Jessica not leaving my gaze.

She followed my gaze.

"The Cullens. The blonde is Rosalie Hale and the big guy is Emmett Cullen. They are together. The blonde guy is Jasper Hale and the pixie like girl is Alice Cullen. They're also together. Rosalie and Jasper are twins. And the bronze haired guy is Edward Cullen. They are all adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife. Jasper and Rosalie have been with them since they were little. Mrs. Cullen is like their aunt of something."

I nodded. Just then, Edward, turned and looked in our direction. I stared for a second. His gaze was amused, confused, and strained. I looked away but I could still feel his gaze on me. "So have they always lived in Forks?" I wondered. Their designer clothes made it seem otherwise.

"No, they moved down her about two years ago from somewhere in Europe or something." Jessica explained.

After a few minutes the bell rang, and we all left. I headed to my Biology class, where Mike and I had together. I walked into the classroom and froze for a second. Next to the only open seat, sat Edward Cullen. He sat rigidly and had his hand to close his nose or something. Did I smell bad or something? His gaze was hostile. What did I do to offend him? I haven't even talked to him.

While we sat listening to the lecture, I noticed from the corner of my eyes that his hands were balled up in fists on this knees, and he looked like he was trying to hold his breath. _I took a shower this morning and I washed well with my favorite coconut scents. It couldn't be that I smelled._ I thought to myself. A second before the bell rang he already had his stuff and was out of his seat heading for the door. It gave me shock from the sudden jump he made and I watched as his seat rocked back and forth until it stood up right again. Mike bounced over to me. He could seriously be called a Bunny.

"So what's with you and Cullen? Did you run over his dog or something?" Mike asked jokingly.

"Not that I know of. I haven't even talked to him." I remarked.

"Where you headed next?"

"Gym." I silently groaned and thought. _What would gym be like here?_

As we walked, Mike chatted on and on about meaningless things, to me at least. When we reached the Gym, we separated to go to our locker rooms. Everyone was playing volleyball. The one sport, I genuinely hated, even when I liked sports. When I liked sports, I loved to play tennis. Though I injured my ankle pretty badly when playing. A seriously had Big Flying Ball Phobia, as I called it.

When the final bell rang, I was relieved. Not because I didn't like school. I surprisingly liked it. I made friends for the first time in my life. That was a good thing right? I wanted to get away from here to think. I needed to organize my thoughts and evaluate the day to understand what was happening and might happen, better. I walked to the office to turn in my paper work, and wished I didn't go in there at that moment. There, stood the angel. He spoke in a soothing voice, asking to get his schedule change to a different Biology hour. I glared. This is going over board. But then why did it bother me? Usually I was used to people ignoring me or doing things they wanted, even if it was because of me, as their excuse would be. What was so different about this time? I noticed he tensed as soon as I came in and glanced over to glare at me for a second. I quickly placed my paperwork on the desk and rushed out of the office. What the hell! Why was I supposed to be scared to offend him even more! This was infuriating!!.

I half ran to my car, ignoring the stares and calls from the other students. I sped out of the school yard onto the highway and headed in a different direction. A direction that was not home.

_**Links to pics.**_

Bella's car

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Bella's house

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Bella's bedroom

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Bella's bathroom

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Bella's sweater

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Bella's Boots

Bella's Jacket

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Rosalie's Boots

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Rosalie's sweater

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Rosalie's coat

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Rosalie's necklace

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Rosalie's scarf

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Emmet's Jacket

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Alice's Boots

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Alice's sweater

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Alice's necklace

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Jasper's jacket

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Edward's jacket

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	3. Chapter 2 Accident

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. It belongs to Stephanie Meyer. This is a FANFIC.

Title: Secret Place

Chapter 2

Accident

I finally stopped about 20 miles away from school near a forest and got out of my car. I ran into the forest and stopped only when I didn't see the road anymore. I felt pain. It was excruciating. My heart ached. It felt like some kind of fire was melting away the ice that formed around it. I screamed. I yelled. Then I cried. Why? How? How could one day at school in Forks, do so much to me? How could this small insignificant town, suddenly start to melt my ice away. It was too painful. I didn't want it to happen. I wanted to stay the way I was, though I didn't know why. Didn't I want to go back to my warm cheerful self? I couldn't go through the pain. I didn't have enough courage. I wanted it to stop. I slumped down on the forest floor against a tree and closed my eyes. I started humming my song. Then I started singing it. I sang. It felt like the fire suddenly started to fade. Yes. This is it. The thing that would harden my heart again. I sang on. When I finished singing. I felt satisfied with my cold self. I got up and headed for the car to head home.

The next day he wasn't there. I felt oddly uneasy and colder. I especially felt uneasy when his "siblings" stared at me from time to time. Were they blaming me for his absence? Arg. This was frustrating. Why was his absence such a big deal? Forks was messing with me. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to move here after all. The week past, and he still hadn't showed up. I was beginning to feel bad. _Why should I feel bad? I didn't do anything._ I tried to make myself feel better. Being in school, was a constant battle. I fought with the fire and ice in my heart. I was in constant pain and sometimes I thought the fire would win. Everyday the fire would win more and more and the pain was more and more. On Friday, Eric invited me to go to First Beach at the reservation with Mike, Jessica, and Angela next Saturday. I'd have to write it down so I wouldn't forget. I wasn't accustomed to going places with friends. I never had friends until now. I went grocery shopping after school. Charlie was a horrible cook. He knew it, but he tried. It's the thought that counts right? I made dinner and went to my room. I opened up my laptop and sat on my bed to get comfortable. Mom wrote me:

_Bella,_

_Write me as soon as you have time. How was your flight? How was your week? Did you make friends? How was school? I miss you. Spain is great. We'll be leaving on Sunday night. Phil says hi. I couldn't find my power cord for my cell. Do you know where it is? I'll call you when I get in Sunday night._

_Mom_

I sighed. I clicked on reply and started t type.

_Mom,_

_My flight was good. Smooth but tiring. My week didn't have anything really interesting going on. _I wasn't going to tell her about this confusing problem with Edward. How was I going to explain that when I didn't even know. _I made some friends. Eric, Mike, Jessica and Angela. We're going down to First Beach next Saturday. School was good. I like it. I've learned a lot of what we're going through now, so it's pretty easy. I'm glad you like Spain. Did you buy anything good? _ My mom was a shopaholic. She loved buying different things from different places. _Say hi to Phil for me. Your power cord is at Grandma's. You left it there two weeks ago when we visited. I'll wait for your call. I'm not sure how good the signal will be since it's always cloudy. Maybe we'll be lucky on Sunday._

_Bella_

I clicked send and shut my computer shoving it aside. A sat on my bed for a couple minutes staring into space. _What should I do now? I have no homework. _ I looked around my room. In the corner of my room, I caught sight of my guitar case. I got up and opened the case. I pulled out my guitar. I tuned it and started to strum a random melody. It was somewhat refreshing to play again. I missed it. I hadn't noticed until now that the pain in my heart dulled a little. I still felt the battle between the fire and ice, but that part of my iced heart wasn't that easily melted. The fire was losing. I gave up fighting it. Though it still hurt, I convinced myself I could handle it. I've been through worse.

Monday came quickly. When I got up, something was different. It wasn't raining, but it wasn't sunny either. I caught my breath when I looked out the window. Everything was covered in snow. Snow. The beautiful snow that I missed. After so many years, I was finally seeing it again. I was so lost in my trance, that I didn't notice my car was gone until I saw Charlie pull up. I put on my robe and went downstairs.

"Morning Bells."

"Morning Dad. Where you been?"

"I went to put some chains on your tires. The roads aren't really safe right now." he stated awkwardly.

"Thanks dad." I finally said after a moment of silence. He nodded.

"I'm gonna head over to the station already. I ate breakfast. I'll be back for dinner."  
"Ok. Have a safe trip." I said as he headed towards the door.

I went upstairs to get dressed. I put on some black tights, and then my dark blue skinny jeans. I put on my black cowlneck sweater and tucked my necklace chain in. It was a gift from my mom before I left. Music notes hung from it. I had matching earrings. I always wore them even though I had other jewelry. I felt dark and dangerous today. I painted my nails black and did my makeup. I rarely did my makeup, but I did when I felt like it. I grabbed my black boots, red coat, bag and headed downstairs. I wasn't rich, but I had some nice clothes from expensive department stores, courtesy of my grandmother on my mom's side. She really liked to dress perfect. She grew up in a rich family and didn't see why she couldn't dress me the same and teach me how to be a proper lady. I ate breakfast fast. I didn't notice how time flew by when I stared out the window earlier today. I locked the door and ran to my car, slipping twice on the way. _Good thing Charlie secures my tires. _I thought. I drove to school slowly.

At school all the kids were throwing snowballs at each other. I smiled to myself. I remembered the good times I had playing with the snow in Canada.

During lunch, everyone wanted to eat outside and have snowball fights. I declined offers. I didn't want to get into it much. I wasn't ready yet. I sat on a bench watching everyone. I scanned the whole student body until my gaze froze on five people. Five. Not four. Edward was back. They were laughing, rolling in the snow. Attacking each other with snowballs. IT was like watching a movie. Their moves were graceful. They were dressed in the latest fashion. I shouldn't be surprised. And I wasn't. During the past week, they always wore something expensive. But I was surprised they would roll in the snow in those clothes. Rosalie. The blonde supermodel. She looked like an angel in the snow. She wore white skinny jeans, white stiletto boots, a white hat, white leather gloves, and a white knee length coat. I only assumed she wore a white sweater under her coat. Emmet wore blue jeans and a black thigh length coat. He also had black leather gloves. Alice looked like a pixie more and more. She wore a green thigh length coat, white jeans, green boots, and a white scarf around her neck. Her gloves were also white and leather. Jasper was dressed somewhat like Emmet. Dark blue jeans, a black coat and black leather gloves. Edward was something different. Though he too was dressed like them, he looked amazingly more beautiful. Though I debated before who was more beautiful, him or Rosalie. He wore dark blue jeans, a blue sweater, and black leather gloves. What's with them and leather, seriously. He wore a black scarf around his neck and kept his gray coat open. I was in awe. Again and again I was convinced that their beauty couldn't be compared to anything.

When I arrived in Biology, Edward was already sitting at the desk. He still sat farther away, but his seat faced me. I sat down ignoring him, but he had other things in mind.

"Hello." he said quietly breaking the silence between us. His voice was like a melody playing quietly in the background.

"My name is Edward Cullen," he continued. "I didn't get a chance to introduce myself last week. You're Bella Swan right?"

I stared at him. Bella Swan. He was the first person to call me Bella from the first conversation. People usually called me Isabella then I would have to tell them to call me Bella.

"Yes." I nodded. "How'd you know my name?"

"Doesn't everyone know your name?" he stated as if stating the obvious.

"I mean, how did you know to call me Bella instead of Isabella?"

"Lucky guess?" that convince me but I brushed it aside.

I nodded silently and swallowed. His voice was so hypnotizing. He looked different to me. The last time I saw him, he looked hostile and his eyes were dark. I glanced over at him and caught his staring at me with an interested expression. I then noticed his eyes. They were topaz colored. They looked so golden. I stared. I knew it wasn't polite but I couldn't look away.

His lips moved up at the edges into a small smile.

"Is there something on my face?" he asked politely.

I gaped at him. I hadn't realized that my mouth was half way opened.

"Bella?" he looked concerned now.

I snapped out of my trance.

"W-what?" I stammered.

"You were staring at me, so I was wondering if there was something on my face."

"N-no. Sorry. Did you get contacts?" I blurted out then bit my tongue.

"No." he said flatly.

I nodded. I was going crazy. But I was sure his eyes were darker the last time I saw him. I brushed it off. It wasn't a life and death situation. What the hell. The teacher told us to start our observation.

"Ladies first." he said pushing the microscope toward me.

The slide was already in there. I peered inside.

"Prophase."

"Mind if I look?" he asked politely but I could still hear the unbelief in his voice.

"Sure." He pulled the microscope toward him and peered inside. I watched him biting my bottom lip. Every move he made was angelic and graceful. His lips curved up in a smile.

"Prophase, he said quietly."

"Like I said." I said nodding. He let out a chuckle.

"How are you liking the weather?" he asked.

I gulped. Was he making small talk?

"Fine I guess. Too much rain though."

He nodded. He put the next slide in the microscope and peered in.

"Anaphase." he murmured writing it down.

"Mind if I look?" I asked. I wasn't going to allow him be the only one to check. He nodded and pushed the microscope gently to me. I peered inside.

"Anaphase."

"Like I said." he mimicked me quietly.

"Why did you move to the rainiest spot in the United States if you didn't like the rain?" he said continuing the conversation I forgot we had and placing the next slide in.

I stared for a second. I wasn't going to spill out my whole life story to someone I barely knew. But for some reason, I felt an urge to tell him. I felt I could trust him.

"Well, my mom remarried this past summer." I stated.

He nodded. "Interphase. Want to check?"

"No I believe you." He smiled.

"So you don't like the guy?"  
"No, Phil is great. He travels a lot though. He plays football and my mom wants to travel with him, so I decided to move down here with my dad." I blabbered. He looked really interested.

We were interrupted by the teacher walking up to us.

"Why aren't you guys working?"

"We're already done professor." Edward explained politely.

He looked over our work.

"You should give Bella a chance at the microscope."

"She did, she identified 3 of the 5."

He looked at me.

"Have you done this lab before?"

"Not with onion root."

"Whitefish blastula?"

I nodded. He smiled and left mumbling under his breath.

Edward was about to say something when the bell rang. We gathered our stuff and he walked me to gym which was unusual. Mike looked disappointed but tagged along behind us.

"I'll see you tomorrow Bella." He smiled turning to leave.

"Ok." I answered quietly not knowing why I even did that.

The next morning I was overly excited to go to school. Charlie left early so I was alone. I would see Edward today. _ Why am I excited to see him so much? It's not like he's my boyfriend. _I shuddered. Not that it would be awful to be with him, no. Just the title boyfriend and me put together, I wasn't used to it. I ate my breakfast fast and ran outside. Most of the snow had melted, but the air was cold so the wet spots turned to ice. I almost slipped but steadied myself on the car. When I reached school, most of the parking spots were full. Edward and the other 4 were there already, lounging by their car. I parked about 10 spaces away. I stepped out of my car and organized my things. I felt Edwards gaze burn my face. I looked over at him and gave him a weak smile. He nodded in recognition. At that moment I heard a screech of tires near by. I saw Edwards expression turn to horror as he turned in the direction. I turned in the direction he was looking and horror struck me. My heart raced. A blue van was headed in my direction. _No freaking way._ was all I could think. My body froze. I couldn't move. Only those 3 words swirled in my head. I suddenly felt a cold hard jolt and was falling. I braced myself for the fall, but it never came. I looked up, to see Edward's honey colored eyes peering in my blue ones. They burned with concern. I was lost in his gaze. Suddenly I remembered the van. I ripped my eyes off him and turned. Just as I turned my head the van suddenly came to a stop. Edwards had make a huge dent in its side. I stared. _What the…._ I slowly turned my head to look at him. My eyes wide with shock.

"Bella, are you ok?" his angelic voice rang.

"yeah." I croaked.

"Be careful, I think you may be hurt." his voice was full of concern.

"I'm fine really." I tried again.

He helped me up, my eyes never leaving his gaze. I was so lost, I didn't notice that Tyler, the driver of the van, and everyone else, looked in concern. They were asking questions, but I didn't hear.

I suddenly cringed from pain.

"That's what I thought." he smirked a little as if to point out he was right.

No. I wasn't hurt. He was wrong. I wasn't hurt in the way he thought I was. I felt a sudden stab in my heart. That's what caused the pain. It's as if an ax hit my heart, crashing all the ice around it. It's over. The pain. It was all over. The ice melted. _He _ melted the ice in my heart. My heart was now warm. The pain was all gone.

I suddenly felt very self conscious. His arms were still around me. I squirmed. He let go of me.

"Sorry." he apologized.

"It's alright. Thanks." I mumbled. Realization came over me. "How did you…get here that fast?"

"What so you mean..I was next to you the whole time." he defended himself.

"No…..you were next to your car…" I said slowly.

"Don't strain yourself Bella, you may have hit your head."

I didn't buy it. He was going to explain. I heard the ambulance, and I was suddenly pulled away and put in a stretcher. _Great. Charlie was going to ecstatic._ I sighed.

I guess I had fallen asleep. I woke up from the angelic voice asking.

"Is she sleeping?"

I opened my eyes and squinted at the light. I looked over and glared at him. He was going to explain. I wasn't crazy. If Forks was going to change me, then this is what it's going to be. I will fin out everything that concerns me. And this concerned me. I wasn't going to be that laid back anymore. Me being like that, caused me trouble. Now I will be in control of my life. Satisfaction filled me at my resolution.

Edward glanced over at me and smirked at my expression.

"Guess she's awake now."

My dad looked at me.

"Bella are you ok?" his voice was frantic.

"Yeah dad, don't worry."

"You could have been killed."

"I know, but I wasn't. Luckily Edward was .. next to me and he pulled me out of the way."

"Edward?"  
I pointed behind him and Charlie looked. Edward smiled and waved. Charlie nodded.

"Thanks. You saved my baby girls life." I cringed. _Baby girl? Where did that come from?_

Edward smiled.

"It was no trouble at all. It would be a great loss, if I hadn't."

I stared at him. Did he just say he would be trouble over the fact that I was dead? Ok, maybe I did hit my head. Just then, another angel walked into the room with a white robe on. _What is this place? Everyone here looks like an angel._

"Dr. Cullen. How is she?" Charlie asked the man.

Dr. Cullen. Right. Edward's father. As well as the other 4. Of course. I could have guessed if I tried. His pale skin was exactly like theirs, and his eyes were the same topaz shade.

"Her vitals are fine. She should be fine. How are you feeling Bella?" he turned to me.

"Fine." He nodded jotting down something in his notepad. "Well, you are free to go whenever you are ready. Don't strain yourself for a couple days though to avoid any side effects." He swiftly left.

"Well I'll go sign the paper work." Charlie said leaving.

Edward stood in the corner of the room. He looked lost in his thoughts. I got up and walked over to him.

"So?" He looked at me.

"What?"  
"Are you going to explain?"

"Explain what?" I knew he was acting dumb.

"How you got to me so fast and stopped the van?" I pushed on.

"Bella, you're confused. I was next to you."

"No, you, weren't." I said each word separately. I was getting frustrated.

"Why can't you just let it go?"

"Why can't you just tell me?"

"There's nothing to tell."

"Oh, yeas there is."

Silence.

"you're not going to let it go are you?" he asked.

"Nope."

"Why can't you just thank me?"

"Thank you."

He sighed. "I'm sorry Bella, but I'll just have to disappoint you." He left.

I stood gaping after him. Anger flowed through me. _What the hell? _

When we got home, Charlie told me to call mom. She was hysterical. About an hour later I finally reassured her everything was fine. I sat on my bed in my room, rerunning the event in my head. My head ached from the concentration. What is such a big secret that he couldn't tell? Why did he even save me? I remembered his arms around me and my heart swelled. Heat ran through my body. His arms were so protective and strong. Yet he was oddly cold.

Was that part of the secret?

_**Links to pics.**_

Bella's laptop

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Bella's guitar

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Bella's sweater

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Bella's necklace

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Bella's makeup

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Bella's boots

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Bella's coat

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Rosalie's boots

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Rosalie's hat

Rosalie's gloves

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Rosalie's coat

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Emmet's coat

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Emmet's gloves

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Alice's boots

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Alice's coat

Alice's gloves

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Alice's scarf

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Jasper's coat

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Jasper's gloves

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Edward's sweater

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Edward's scarf

Edward's gloves

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Edward's coat

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